| Home Page | Epiphyllum is a genus containing epiphyte cactus (meaning that they live carried by trees, like many orchids). It has been popular for a long time to use in hanging baskets, or as patio plants. Many species and genus have been hybridized, and the plants sold today with brightly colored flowers, have little in common with the wild plants that normally have white flowers. The red and orange colors come from crossing the original epiphyllum with other cactus of the genera Heliocereus and Nopalxochia. The name epiphyllum comes for the Greek for "over the leaf" in reference to the position of the flower. Of course epiphyllum 'leaves', are really only flattened stems.
The ancestors of today Epiphyllum lives in trees with a small root system, used to absorb nutrients from vegetation debris that accumulate around them. When grown in a container, they need a soil rich in organic matter with a very good drainage. Epiphyllum should not be exposed to frost. Epiphyllum anguliger Epiphyllum cartagense Epiphyllum caudatum Epiphyllum columbiense Epiphyllum costaricense Epiphyllum crenatum var. kimnachii Epiphyllum crenatum Epiphyllum floribundum Epiphyllum grandilobum Epiphyllum guatemalense Epiphyllum hookeri Epiphyllum laui Epiphyllum lepidocarpum Epiphyllum oxypetalum Epiphyllum phyllanthus Epiphyllum pittieri Epiphyllum pumilum Epiphyllum rubrocoronatum Epiphyllum thomasianum Epiphyllum trimetrale Synonym and obsolete names Epiphyllum ackermanni synonym of Disocactus ackermannii Epiphyllum acuminatum synonym of Epiphyllum oxypetalum Epiphyllum altensteinii synonym of Schlumbergera truncata (False Christmas Cactus) Epiphyllum bradei synonym of Weberocereus bradei Epiphyllum bridgesii synonym of Schlumbergera truncata (False Christmas Cactus) Epiphyllum Χ buckleyi synonym of Schlumbergera Χ buckleyi Epiphyllum candidum synonym of Schlumbergera microsphaerica ssp. candida Epiphyllum caulorhizum synonym of Epiphyllum crenatum Epiphyllum chrysocardium synonym of Selenicereus chrysocardium Epiphyllum Χ cooperi synonym of Epiphyllum crenatum Epiphyllum crispatum synonym of Rhipsalis crispata Epiphyllum darrahii synonym of Epiphyllum anguliger Epiphyllum delicatum synonym of Schlumbergera truncata (False Christmas Cactus) Epiphyllum eichlamii synonym of Disocactus eichlamii Epiphyllum gaertneri synonym of Hatiora gaertneri (Easter Cactus) Epiphyllum gaillardae synonym of Epiphyllum phyllanthus Epiphyllum gigas synonym of Epiphyllum grandilobum Epiphyllum grande synonym of Epiphyllum oxypetalum Epiphyllum latifrons synonym of Epiphyllum oxypetalum Epiphyllum latifrons synonym of Epiphyllum hookeri Epiphyllum macrocarpum synonym of Epiphyllum costaricense Epiphyllum macropterum synonym of Epiphyllum thomasianum Epiphyllum macropterum var. thomasianum synonym of Epiphyllum thomasianum Epiphyllum makoyanum synonym of Hatiora gaertneri (Easter Cactus) Epiphyllum nelsonii synonym of Disocactus nelsonii Epiphyllum obovatum synonym of Schlumbergera opuntioides Epiphyllum obtusangulum synonym of Schlumbergera microsphaerica Epiphyllum opuntioides synonym of Schlumbergera opuntioides Epiphyllum phyllanthus var. hookeri synonym of Epiphyllum hookeri Epiphyllum phyllanthus var. pittieri synonym of Epiphyllum pittieri Epiphyllum phyllanthus var. guatemalense synonym of Epiphyllum guatemalense Epiphyllum phyllanthus var. rubrocoronatum synonym of Epiphyllum rubrocoronatum Epiphyllum phyllanthus var. columbiense synonym of Epiphyllum columbiense Epiphyllum quezaltecum synonym of Disocactus quezaltecus Epiphyllum ruckeri synonym of Schlumbergera truncata (False Christmas Cactus) Epiphyllum ruckerianum synonym of Schlumbergera truncata (False Christmas Cactus) Epiphyllum ruestii synonym of Epiphyllum hookeri Epiphyllum russellianum var. gaertneri synonym of Hatiora gaertneri (Easter Cactus) Epiphyllum russellianum synonym of Schlumbergera russelliana Epiphyllum steyermarkii synonym of Selenicereus inermis Epiphyllum strictum synonym of Epiphyllum hookeri Epiphyllum thomasianum var. costaricense synonym of Epiphyllum costaricense Epiphyllum truncatum var. bridgesii synonym of Schlumbergera truncata (False Christmas Cactus) Epiphyllum truncatum synonym of Schlumbergera truncata (False Christmas Cactus)
Desert Tropicals Home Page List of All the Plants | More in the Cactaceae family Desert-Tropicals is dedicated to provide gardening advice, gardening ideas, and information about flower of all kind for landscape and collections.We try to check carefully the identification of the plants on the illustrations as well as the other information from the page, but occasionally errors do occur. if you notice anything that needs to be changed please contact us.Thanks. © 1998-2020 Philippe Faucon, All Rights Reserved. |